This study was carried out to compare different methods used for enumerating somatic cells in cow milk in order to determine which of them would give accurate estimates of somatic cell counts (SCC) in goat milk. Fifteen samples of goat milk were analyzed by direct microscopy, flow citometry using Somacount 300 equipment and Wisconsin Mastitis Test (WMT). The results were, respectively, 6.07 log SCC/ml, 6.08 log SCC/ml and 5.54 log SCC/ml. The SCC mean obtained by Somacount 300 was similar (P>0.05) to that showed by direct microscopy count, while WMT underestimated goat milk SCC.
Goat milk; somatic cells; analytical methods
